"It's obviously been an amazing year for me, starting off with the Queen Mary 2," he said. "And I never imagined that we could, just a few months later, top that with the situation that's happening now with Shaquille."

Operating amid limited Heat revenues in recent seasons, Arison has overseen an austerity program that has curbed the team's spending on free agents and trades. With O'Neal aboard, Arison believes the Heat can attain both stability and success.

"We're completely committed to putting the pieces around Shaq to win a championship," he said. "We're prepared to spend whatever the market will generate from the standpoint of revenues. We're not looking to make money on an operating basis with the team. We're looking, on a good year, to break even.

"And one thing is clear from the past few days: The market is willing to help us, and the response has been tremendous. You can rest assured that whatever money is coming in, we're willing to invest to put the pieces around Shaq to win a championship."

While O'Neal will earn $27.7 million this season, $30 million the next and is believed to be seeking upward of $100 million for the next three years, Arison said there hardly was a decision to make when presented with the possibility by Heat President Pat Riley.

When presented with the O'Neal possibility in late June, Arison did not make much of it.

"To me, to be offered the best player in the world, to be offered a player that arguably could be one of the best big men ever, it just didn't seem like that was something that was going to be possible," he said.

Then it became possible.

"It was a no-brainer," he said. "You're talking about a guy who could take us from a team that barely, barely was able to get home court [advantage in the playoffs] to a team that should be considered a legitimate contender."

Now, six months after the launch of the Queen Mary 2, Arison is anticipating his team's maiden voyage with O'Neal.

"I never envisioned that in one year we could have two events so momentous in my career," he said. "I'm grinning from ear to ear."